Physiologists recently found that people in the 70s who exercise vigorously
can bring their exercise capacity to its peak for their age. Doctors at the
University of Maryland's Center for Aging found that a group of patients in
their 70s increased their maximum cardiovascular capacity by 22 percent
through a program of fast walking. (From the USA TODAY Life section.)

GM TEAM TRIES TO REDUCE INJURY:

Researchers at General Motors are designing safety systems to minimize the
injuries that accompany sudden deceleration. A GM team using advanced computer
technology and anatomical models, are creating new mathematical models of the
damage caused by crash forces. Their research is based on the theory that
force has different effects on different types of body tissue.

YOUNG FALLING DOWN ON FITNESS:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently named declining fitness levels
and the use of illegal steroids as the two most urgent problems facing
America's physical education programs. The academy said the general fitness of
the nation's young people has been declining during the past two decades and
the trend might contribute to future cases of heart disease and other
illnesses.

MORE EVIDENCE AGAINST FAT:

A study at the University of Illinois confirms that fat content - not
calorie count - is the key to weight reduction. In a six-month study, 18 women
lost weight faster on a 20 percent fat diet than on a 40-percent fat diet with
fewer calories. The diet showed equal results regardless of the women's level
of obesity prior to starting the diet.

NYU MAPS BRAIN MAGNETIC FIELDS:

New technology is unlocking the secret of the brain's magnetic fields.
Researchers at New York University said Wednesday that by using new, highly
sensitive detectors, they could monitor the location, force and shape of
magnetic fields in the brain for the first time. All the fields combined in a
single human brain have less magnetic energy than a common message magnet.